Narragansett Police Highlight Special Training For Mental Health Awareness Month

NARRAGANSETT, RI — May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and to recognize it, Narragansett Police Chief Sean Corrigan highlighted the department's participation in programs designed to improve outcomes between police and people experiencing mental health crises.

May is recognized nationally as Mental Health Awareness Month by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Every May, organizations work to raise awareness about mental health, fighting stigmas, providing support, educating the public, and advocating for policies that support the millions of people in the U.S. affected by mental illness.

The Narragansett Police Department is part of the Washington County Crisis Intervention Team partnership, which includes the South Kingstown, North Kingstown and Richmond police departments.

Corrigan said since 2019, Narragansett has shared the services of a full-time mental health police clinician with these departments. This clinician co-responds with officers to calls for service where people experiencing a mental health crisis require assistance.

In 2022, in recognition of the high standards of the partnership, CIT International Awarded the Washington County CIT its Silver Certification.

Participating officers receive crisis intervention team (CIT) training, provided by the Washington County Health Equity Zone through NAMI Rhode Island. Corrigan said 15 Narragansett officers have completed the 40-hour training.

Officers who complete the training receive certification and are required to complete eight additional hours of training every three years to maintain the certification. Through the 40-hour training academy, participants learn to understand common signs and symptoms of mental illness, safely de-escalate situations involving behavioral health crises, and utilize available resources and diversion strategies to provide assistance.

Since 2021, the Narragansett Police Department is also One Mind Campaign certified through the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The One Mind Campaign seeks to ensure successful interactions between law enforcement and individuals with mental health conditions. The initiative focuses on uniting local communities, public safety organizations, and mental health organizations so that the three become "of one mind," which improves the welfare of vulnerable individuals, enhances officer safety and creates sustainable relationships.

The pledge required the department to establish a partnership with one or more community mental health organizations. Narragansett police partners with the Thundermist Health Center, Washington County Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds and The Providence Center. The pledge also required Narragansett police to develop and implement a leading practice policy addressing law enforcement response to individuals with mental health conditions. The mental health response policy can be found on the department's website, here.

The pledge also required Narragansett police to certify 100 percent of its officers in mental health response by certifying at least 20 percent of staff in CIT and at least 80 percent of staff in mental health first aid (MHFA).

Corrigan said as of Friday, the Narragansett Police Department has certified 100 percent of sworn officers in MHFA and 36 percent in CIT.

"We've seen across the state and the country in the past few years how beneficial relationships between law enforcement and mental health providers can be for communities," Corrigan said. "Our officers respond often to calls for service that have a mental health element. Crisis Intervention Team training gives our officers the knowledge and resources to respond effectively and safely, and a way to help individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis, while maintaining public safety."